Stories about Latin America from May, 2007
Bolivia: A Country Unites Behind FIFA Ban on Stadiums at High Altitudes
Stadiums located at 2500 m above sea level are no longer able to host international football matches according to a recent FIFA ban. This move sent the Bolivian government into a full-fledged campaign to overturn this decision, which would jeopardize the Bolivian National Team's chances to qualify for the next World Cup. Bloggers from all across Bolivia and of all political ideologies joined the cause.
Cuba: Today Show
“I'm sorry, but an American news outlet visiting Cuba isn't news. That they're not going to be able to score an interview with Fidel Castro is news.” Lawhawk shares his thoughts on the upcoming Today Show visit to Cuba – as do Uncommon Sense, El Cafe Cubano and Babalu Blog.
El Salvador: Preliminary Census Figures
Early returns from the first Salvadoran census since 1992 have found that there are less citizens in the country than expected. Tim Muth provides the prediction that “you can expect the ARENA government to spin this as good news — it means a greater per capita income statistic when you...
Bolivia: Residents of El Alto Fed Up With Bars
Residents of the city of El Alto took the streets and forcibly “closed” clandestine bars that were said to contribute to the rising delinquency of the city. Mario Duran, GV author, descended to the area to have a look and presents a slideshow of images that he posted on Noticias...
Peru: Interview with Archaeologist Guillermo Cock
C.J. Schexnayder of Kleph's blog recently sat down with famed Peruvian archaeologist Guillermo Cock, who led the effort to unearth thousands of mummies and tens of thousands of artifacts in a area of land near Lima that was destined for urban development. Among the topics discussed with Cock were the...
Venezuela: More Protest Photos
GV Author Luis Carlos Díaz continues his on-the-ground coverage of the post-RCTV closure and adds another Flickr photoset.
Peru: Bloggers Featured for the First Time?
Bloggers Juan Carlos Luján and Vladimir Terán Altamirano were interviewed on the radio station Radio Libertad. Podcasts of the interview were posted on the Grupo Periodisimo Digital [ES] blog. This led the blog's author Sandro Medina to comment, “I don't remember a Lima, or even a Peruvian radio station that...
Cuba: US Visit to Spain
Child of the Revolution is waiting for the “diplomatic fireworks” that he predicts will ensue over Cuba during the US Secretary of State's visit to Spain this week.
Mexico: Shakira Concert in the Zocalo
More than 200,000 fans of the Colombian singer Shakira packed Mexico City's Zocalo to attend a free concert. Many of the fans waited the day before for a chance to get close to the stage, and when she did begin performing they were not disappointed. Dfinitivo [ES] r
Chile: Smog Makes Santiago Unlivable
C.hileno continues to write about the smog in the city of Santiago. On the days that it does rain in the city, he highly suggests to take advantage and watch the snow-capped mountaintops while you can. However, his conclusion is that “the smog makes Santiago unlivable, according to my humble...
Brazilian Express Loves (and jealousy) around the world
The Brazilian blogosphere entered in alert a few weeks ago when the major publish house Companhia das Letras (PT) announced a huge literary project. Idealized by Rodrigo Teixeira, the project called Express Loves (Amores Expressos) wants to take 16 writers to 16 cities around the world for a one month trip. Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Lisbon, Berlin, Cairo, Saint Petersburg and São Paulo are some among those chosen cities. At the end, each one of them must write a love history tied with those cities. All in 90 days.
Panama: Political Season Heating Up, The Return of Noriega, and Crime in Panama: a Love Story
Presidential elections in Panama are not scheduled until May 2009, but bloggers are already keeping a watchful eye out for any developments. Another interesting turn of events that will arrive sooner than the elections is the expected release of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Finally, in addition to blog entries about visas, travel and food, one blogger's hopeful encounter with a beautiful woman turns out to be something more unexpected and less appealing.
Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela: Media & Politics
“When media become political players themselves, they lose their credibility, and they betray the people who rely on them for truthful, accurate information.” Jeremy Taylor weighs in on the controversy surrounding the closure of RCTV in Venezuela.
Cuba: Health Care
Child of the Revolution refers to a New York Times article as he examines the Cuban health care system.
Colombia: Reactions to Paramilitary Chief's “Confession”
Colombian bloggers react to the testimony provided by paramilitary chief Salvatore Mancuso, in which he implicated many of the Colombian powerful and elite. Some think he should not be believed, while others would rather give him the benefit of the doubt, as the revelations could be a first step in finding who is responsible.
Ecuador: Video of Candidate for Constituent Assembly
Ecuador Elige [ES] posts a YouTube video of an interview with Marcelo Ruiz, a pre–candidate for the Constituent Assembly.
Venezuela: RCTV Protest Photos
Luis Carlos Diaz posts a Flickr photo set featuring images from the May 28 protests against the closing of RCTV.
Honduras: Getting Used to a Kissing Culture
Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve writes about Honduras and each city with their own “Kissing Culture.” Arriving in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, he was not used to greeting women with a kiss and made him uncomfortable especially when the husbands were present.
Argentina: Kirchner and Twitter
Could it be? LamarK! was recently added by President Nestor Kirchner as his friend on twitter or at least someone passing as the Argentine leader. However, he didn't fall for the troll, but it was still pretty funny.
Guatemala: Asking About Guatemala
A poem called “Today, they me asked about you, Guatemala,” led Jorge Cabrera to reflect on the state of affairs in his native country [ES]. He writes, “Let's talk about the people, the news, and the insecurity that affects all of the people that make up what we call Guatemala....
Mexico: Hanging Cables a Concern for Tourist Bus in Mexico City
Chilanga Banda [ES] writes about the newly unveiled southern circuit of the tourist double-decker open air Turibús in Mexico City. Even though this new route may attract up to 200,000 tourists, the concern still remains with the low hanging cables and the danger that they may present for the city's...
About our Latin America coverage
Melissa Vida is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
